writing
MSU BLACK FEMALE LEADERS INTEGRATE DEI INTO HEALTHCARE RESEARCH, ADVOCACY
Though strides towards achieving equity have been made, Black women still experience much higher mortality rates, risk of diseases and shorter life expectancies than women of other races do. Three Michigan State University leaders from varied backgrounds are working to tackle systemic and systematic inequalities at the heart of the most basic human right: healthcare. (KEEP READING)
FORMER LSD EMLPOYEE SPEAKS OUT ON RACISM ACCUSATIONS
Keys. Laptop. Badge. These were the three items Claude Hogan was unsuspectingly ordered to hand over the day he was placed on administrative leave.
This came as a shock to Hogan, who was the supervisor for a student athletic development program and has worked at the Lansing School District, or LSD, since 2015. All he was told was that he had breached a policy. Nearly six months later, he still hasn’t been told which policy he breached, nor was he given an exit interview. (KEEP READING)
MSU STARBUCKS ‘CAMPUS COLLECTION’ MUGS ARE IN HIGH DEMAND
Starbucks is selling an increasingly popular Michigan State University-themed coffee mug at campus locations and most stores close to East Lansing. The mug, complete with MSU's most recognizable buildings and landmarks, is in high demand, according to Starbucks Barista Kelsey Pink.
"We got four mugs the first time and they sold out right away," Pink said. "We've been asked about them every week. People know Friday is the chance we'll get them, so we get calls on Thursday night and we'll get calls all day tomorrow. We've been getting it for weeks." (KEEP READING)
MSU COMIC FORUM EXPLORES PERSPECTIVES, PERSONAL STORIES THROUGH COMIC ART
The Michigan State University Comic Forum transformed the university library’s third floor into a hub for comic enthusiasts, artists and scholars on during its 15th triennial convention on Saturday.
From watercolor paintings with pens and paintbrushes to digital creations with a mouse, each artist had their own distinctive styles while staying true to one common theme: using art as a creative outlet. (KEEP READING)
REVIEW: TAYLOR SWIFT’S ‘THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT’ NEEDS MORE THAN ONE LISTEN TO BE FULLY APPRECIATED
Only one listen of Taylor Swift’s "The Tortured Poet’s Department," or TTPD, isn't enough to make a fair judgement. When I first heard the songs on TTPD, I was not impressed. As an avid "Folklore," "Evermore" and "Reputation" stan, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by Swift’s recent, sometimes oversaturated releases. (KEEP READING)
THE ‘PRIVILEGE OF PROTEST’: MSU EXPERTS DISCUSS THE ACCESSIBILITY IF ACTIVISM
Natural disasters stemming from climate change, the Israel-Hamas conflict, the overturning of Roe v. Wade and many other issues have set the stage for activist groups to fight for their views to be recognized. However, what about those who would like to protest, but can’t? What about Starbucks baristas who disapprove of the company’s practices but must stick to their 9-5 job, aspiring environmentalists who can’t afford an electric vehicle and those that can’t attend a march because they’re working to feed their families? (KEEP READING)
MSU ‘IN THE FINISHING PROCESS’ OF IMPLEMENTING NEW SECURITY MEASURES
In efforts to provide protection and comfort to students after the shooting last February, Michigan State University is enacting various safety measures—some of which were completed when students arrived’ on campus, with others being rolled out by the semester’s end.
According to Dana Whyte, MSU’s Department of Police and Public Safety communications manager and spokesperson, classroom door locks, improved outdoor lighting and sirens, a fully staffed Security Operations Center and improved alerts are part of the campus-wide safety initiatives. (KEEP READING)
HASLETT PRESENTS UPDATES ON EQUITY PLAN
The Haslett Public Schools Board of Education reviewed pertinent data relating to its equity plan at the Nov. 13 meeting.
The equity plan, which was written and approved in 2022, has wrapped the data collection phase of its implementation. Stephanie Livingston, Haslett High School’s interventionist, instructional coach and district diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator, presented demographics, in-progress facets of the plan and areas for growth. (KEEP READING)
NEWS: MSU TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
After Michigan State University’s record-high incoming freshman class forced overcrowding in dorm rooms, there are now zero students living in transitional housing situations.
MSU welcomed 11,054 new undergraduates this fall, an all-time high for the institution. But with that positive statistic for the university came a negative reality for its students. Transitional housing–a temporary living situation that houses one extra student more than the room typically accommodates–was estimated to impact 15% of incoming students, according to the university. (KEEP READING)
Courtesy photo: MSU
FEATURE: JUDY WALGREN
It was Judy Walgren’s first day of second grade. Her family had just moved from Iowa City, Iowa—a place she said was bursting at the seams with diversity—to a “white flight” suburb in Dallas.
Upon her arrival, she immediately befriended a student of color. After all, her friends in Idaho were of color and she felt out of sorts in this new environment. She wasn’t used to everybody looking the same. (KEEP READING)
GEL LAB INTERNS GAIN REAL-WORLD SKILLS IN A VIRTUAL REALITY
If you asked most Michigan State University students what schoolwork they have to grind out in a week, they’d probably tell you they’re catching up on readings, working on a paper or reviewing notes for a big exam.
If you asked Mikayla Miklasz, she’d tell you her homework is playing and analyzing video games. (KEEP READING)
LOCALIZATION: PROPOSAL 3
Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, Proposal 3 will finally put reproductive laws in the hands of Michigan voters on Nov. 8.
The upcoming midterm ballot will include Proposal 3, an initiative that would enshrine Michigan citizens’ right to abortion. After Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, Michigan had the potential to revert to a law dating to 1931, which made it a crime to perform an abortion unless the mother’s health was in danger. That law, however, was struck down. (KEEP READING)
CLAS STUDENT MEETS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS DURING HER ONE-OF-A-KIND INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Company culture, an important yet overlooked factor when searching for internships, is at best, difficult to uncover and in the worst cases, flies completely under the radar. For Brooke Larkin—a junior studying Communication, Leadership and Strategy—finding a company where her personality and individual strengths would mesh was essential.
At her summer internship with United Wholesale Mortgage, she found precisely what she was looking for—and more. (KEEP READING)
AFTER THE RAIN
Fifty-two-year-old Terry Hall lights a cigarette, the empty lake with nothing but the Tittabawassee River gently flowing in the background. Patio chairs, a garage, a grill and a small charming house are part of the property that Terry calls home. He had to live in his conversion van after the flood hit and he was forced to remodel his house. But as for the tragedy that dramatically changed the lives of thousands of people, the former veteran utters the words of those who have seen the world’s many hardships.
“It could have been worse.” (KEEP READING)
SEBASTION’S STORY: ACCEPTANCE IN A SMALL TOWN
It's October 16, 2020. Sebastion and I walk side-by-side down the 50-yard line as bleachers full of spectators watch. He and I are dressed in our formal wear, me in a gold gown that reflects the lights above and him in a black tux and red bowtie. The crowd cheers as our names are announced: “Your junior homecoming court representatives - Stella Govitz and Sebastion Shearer!” I glance over at him and can’t help but smile.
Sebastion’s come a long way since being Alyssa. (KEEP READING)